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Has anyone else had knee issues after getting an emtb??
I know this sounds coutner intuitive, but I think it might have caused mine.
I started getting knee pain above my knee about a year ago, went to a private physio (actually two different ones over a period of 8 months) and both diagnosed it as patella instability. Basically the knee cap isn't tracking properly in the grove it's supposed to sit in. The exercises to remedy this build up strength in the thigh muscle by doing squats, stair steps and so on to help with knee cap stay where it's suppoed to.
I couldn't help but notice this seems weird as that's exactly the same muscles that would get built up by pedalling.
I bought an ebike a couple of years ago, so I did start to wonder if that was the cause. When the NHS MSK appt finally came through I mentioed it there, and he said he's had other people with the same issue say the same thing and it seems to make sense.
The ebike just doesn't seem to give the same strength training as there's nothing to "push against" as the motor just kicks in.
I've started riding my hardtail more which definitely feels like it's helping...
Just wondering if I'm imagining things or has anyone else noticed anything similar??
not really answering your question but MrsTJ had a very similar problem solved by doing the foam roller / IT band thing. cycling tends to give you an imbalance in the muscles and shorten your IT band
I have a friend in the same boat. Since buying his ebike he has ended up with the same complaint and diagnosis.
Has an ebike caused me knee problems??
No it hasn't
Your change to doing less strength based activity has caused your knee problems not the bike !
Sorry - just to add the IT band thing is a bit controversial but for Mrs TJ she went from hardly being able to walk to no pain at all. Its worth a try
So if the motor is putting the effort in and you aren't, it sounds like you are needing to up your effort (so faster times and more strength)...or...stop using the ebike and do it all under your own steam (as you have mentioned).
However, as TJ has mentioned, worth being aware that although cycling builds up thigh muscles, it doesn't do it in a balanced way so make sure you do plenty squats and stair climbing exercises as those will strengthen all of the muscles in a more balanced way.
I'm the opposite.
Had knee issues and was told I'd need a knee replacement. Decided to try the exercise and strength building route instead of surgery.
Got an ebike and it's helped massively with my knee, so much so that I'm now back to riding my hardtail most rides.
Turn down the assistance on the ebike or use the hills as a time trial and get the heart rate up.
No it hasn’t
Don't they tend to having wider bottom brackets and q factors?
So it absolutely would give *me* knee and hip problems.
For balance, I don't have an ebike but did end up with knee problems this year. I had swapped frames and ended up with my saddle too low. Worth checking as I've noticed ebikers sometimes ride with it dropped a bit longer than you would without assistance.
I now do weekly squats, lunges, etc, and lots and lots of stretching.
Mine did, pain in the same place. Ride hardtail - no issues. Ride ebike, pain on descents was off the charts after about a minute. both knees.
Still alternate between bikes, physio made no difference. Q factor could be the issue but one hardtail is on 197mm hub and fat BB - I get no issues with that so seems unlikely.
I had 155mm cranks on the ebike, compared to 175mm on the other bikes. I reckon a 40mm closer stance was what caused it.
Either way, almost exactly 6 months after getting the ebike the knee pain mysteriously disappeared. Not sure how helpful that is for you, but at least there is hope!
Unfortunately cardiac issues that drove the ebike purchase are still there, FFS.
*gets biscuits and waits for this thread to turn into another “e-bikers are lazy” thread…🙄
Have you tried a patella strap.?
They really work and have done so on the 2 people I recommended them to.
Don’t they tend to having wider bottom brackets and q factors?
Maybe, but it's really not noticeable.
I did get a strange pain in my knee while out on mine on Saturday. But rode my normal bike to work today and it was fine. My legs were kind of tired from Saturday's ride, so it's definitely a work out (just different and damn-site easier one!)
I do think my previous hardtail ebike gave my this awful golfers elbow from being so rigid.
It's a fact: Ebikes just aren't good for your health! 😆
Maybe, but it’s really not noticeable.
Maybe to you. I can tell when someone's put the HT spacers back in the wrong place.
I actually went to order a patella strap thing and realised I already had one from when I suddenly started commuting 5k a year and got knee issues then. I think this is a sort of pre-existing thing thats been made worse possibly by too much ebike vs normal bike.
Definitely don't thing this is a general issue that will effect everyone.
I did some big rides in eco and they didn't cause any issues (other than not being that enjoyable pedaling a 25kg bike with heavy tyres).
Maybe my body just requires suffering to work properly.
@ribena
The ebike just doesn’t seem to give the same strength training as there’s nothing to “push against” as the motor just kicks in.
Well, duh. Obviously. My prime reason for my ebike hate is that they're crap for your fitness. I wouldn't even dare to look at your loss of aerobic capacity etc. etc.
Of course, there'll be plenty of ebikers who'll hate that because you can choose to blow really hard and push "as hard as you like" (whilst ignoring the fact that the whole point of ebikes is to make it easier).
@FunkyDunc
Your change to doing less strength based activity has caused your knee problems not the bike !
Nice cognitive dissonance!
@oceanskiper
*gets biscuits and waits for this thread to turn into another “e-bikers are lazy” thread…
Happy to oblige 🙂
Maybe my body just requires suffering to work properly.
Everyones does.
If you get an ebike and aren't one of the apparently overwhelming majority of people who never actually engage the electric motor and instead choose to increase their mileage on a bike weighing over twice as much as their old bike, then you are indeed going to have to compensate in some way.
Shame on you for actually using the electric portion of your electric motorbike tbh. Most of the ebikers here have legs like Arnold! Did you not get the memo?!
😉
I couldn’t help but notice this seems weird as that’s exactly the same muscles that would get built up by pedalling
I've got knee issues, not caused by cycling, although it does affect my cycling (can't stand to pedal as much as I did in the past, being a committed SSer for 10 years a while ago)
I've been having physio and quizzed the same and she said that actually cycling isn't that great for knee stability, because if you have your saddle height right and are at around 140-150 degrees as your maximum knee extension then you aren't using the muscles that work at full extension. Same at the other end, your knee at flexion is usually around 90 degrees or so. So while there may be some truth in not working as hard, some proper exercises for the full range are definitely worth doing.
The Q factor is wider which is better for some (inc. me), worse for others, and some won’t notice at all. Ebikes often have shorter cranks which I found is better for me (and are easier on the knees according to biomechanics).
Seat tube angle matters as does seat height, changing the balance between anterior and posterior chain.
Seated pedalling is more knee dominant, standing pedalling is more hip dominant. We all generate more force when standing so using motor assistance will reduce the likelihood of standing pedalling.
For the last year and a bit I’ve mostly been using my eMTB for commuting and solo lapping of the steeper DH trails locally, and my singlespeed hardtail for group rides. I’ve found that that combination is better for my bad knee than anything else I’ve tried - basically my faulty knee likes me to stand up when pushing hard.
“Basically the knee cap isn’t tracking properly in the grove it’s supposed to sit in.”
This is the exact problem I’ve had, caused by my right ankle being misaligned after a spiral fracture and operation to screw it back together. I sometimes had to manually relocate it on rides!
Things that I think have helped:
1. Barefoot shoes (not for riding apart from shorter commutes)
2. Calf/ankle extension exercises
3. Shorter cranks
4. Singlespeed
5. Frequently riding the ebike unassisted (again, you have to stand up!) Don’t be scared of this - you can turn the motor back on if it gets too hard. Interval training is good!
Things that I don’t think help:
1. Sitting and grinding
2. Heavy squats
3. Bulgarian split squat
4. Maybe sitting and spinning?
The more open your joint angles, the easier it is on the joints. Short cranks and standing both help keep the joint angles open.
Good points from chief groove and Jonv
Had it a few times and Q factor was a factor in one flare up
The explanation for the problem is this
Our quads pull through the knee cap vertically up through most of the range of movement. However the knee cap needs to track inwards as the knee becomes straight. A smaller muscle sits just above and inside called, this is called the VMO. Anything that causes the VMO to not join in the pull leads to a tracking problem. It’s a frequent cycling problem as the knee don’t fully lock straight allowing the VMO to become lazy.
The best advice I have recieved is ensure that you have full conscious control of the VMO. Put a finger on it and twitch it 6 times with the leg straight, stood up and sat on the floor. Hamstring stretches helped me as well
VMO in red
What ebike is it?
Do you ride clips or flats OP?